Submarine torpedo.



Patented Dec. 1T, 1918.

n.: muuu uns co. rnmuma. wunnwran. n ck e ira Mes CLYDE C. ROWN, OFSPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

` SUBMARINE fronrnno.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

. Application led March, 1918. Serial No. 224,550.

as are released or-l freed and actuated by.

the `action of a passing vesself Thevinvention .is especiallyadapted forthe .destino-.

tion of submarine, or-submersibl'e war-ves sels,- and'to tlnsend-theinvention utilizes a ;cable -or traekway, lform-ing abarrier againstwhich the 'eneinyvessel is V.calculated l' to strike,` and actuate the`propelling mechanism of the torpedo through the conse,

quentl movement vof the cable orv trackway which' vcable formsv a 'guideto the object tobe destroyed.' i-

In'v the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physicalembodiment of' the invention is illustrated, wherein- Y Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view showing the 'submergedftorpedof'and its supportingcable or trackway, with a non-submersible vessel=passing over thebar-nier. 'and showing also a submerged vessel about to strike the cableor barrier.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a submerged vessel as havingstruck the barrier or cable, buoyant supports for the cable beingdisplaced by the moving torpedo. and the torpedo traveling toward itsdestination and guided over the suspended cable.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged. fragmentary view showing a resilientr or elasticconnection and a frangible connection between the cable and a buoy andthe torpedo and a buoy, for actuating the propeller.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the torpedo and its connections.

Fig. 5 is a broken, bottom plan, of the front end of the torpedo.

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of one of the cable supportingr buoys.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the cable clutch of one of the cable supportingbuovs, showing the detachable feature of the buoy.

In utilizing the invention a cable 1 is stretched, at a suitable depth,in the water, between the two stay cables 2, 2, which in normalcondition, stand vertical, and

are attached to the anchors 3, 3,` resting on the bottom of the sea.Large buoyant floats or spherical buoys 4, i connect.

the stay cables with the suspending cable, and a sufficient number ofdetachable buoys 5 are designed to support the cable at the properdepth. Each of these detachable buoys is provided with a clutch device Gby which the buoy is held below the surface of the water, and a releaselever 7 is pivoted at 8 to each of these detachable buoys, and by theproper manipulation of these levers, the buoys 5 are successivelydetached, and then rise to the surface of the water .to indicate the.travel of the torpedo.

At one end of the supporting cable, and

connecting it with the buoy V4', is a .ccn-

tractilespring 9 anda cord 10 4that are factors in freeing the Vtorpedo11. The torpedo is made up of the usual casing, and extendinglongitudinally therethrough isa Central .tube 12 through which passesthe cable l. and at the front of the torpedo the usual charge orexplosive mixture is.

indicated at 13. The detonators 14 are arms that project bevond thefront of the torpedo,

and are pivoted at l5V on the outer surface of the torpedo casing. withtheir firing pins extending, operatively, into the explosive charge. andthe charge is exploded when the detonators, one or more, strike anobject with suiicient impact.

The torpedo is propelled through the in strumentality of an air motor16. located at the stern of the torpedo, when the valve 17 is withdrawnfrom the ports 18, and the motor has an inlet motive Huid port 19 and anoutlet port 20 as shown. The valves or ports 18 that are uncovered, whenthe valve 17 is pulled open by the cord 10, are openings in a tubularjournal 21 located in the stern bearing 22, and the propeller 23 isrevoluble with this tubular journal 2l that is revolved in its bearingsby the motor to drive the torpedo. As the torpedo proceeds itsuccessively detaches the buoys 5 by reason of the nose 'of the torpedocontacting with the buoy fastening. to engage the release lever 7 toopen the clutch 6 to free the buoys. The operation of the device isobvious. In Fig. 2 it is assumed the submarine vessel S has struck thecable 1 and the impact has stretched the spring 9. Only a slightmovement is necessary to open the port-s 18 and this movement of thevalve 17 non-stretchable,holds the valve 17 to Which Y it is attached,and the slight movement Yof the torpedo on itssupport causes theunseating of the valve 17. Compressed air in the casing 11 now rushesthrough the inlet 19 of the motor, the motor is actuated and by it thetorpedo is propelled toward its target. In the'initial movement thevalve 17 is Withdrawn and the cable and its spring 9 remain-suspended,taut, for a trackvva or guide direct to the vessel that has struc Y thecable. In its course, the torpedo frees the buoyant devices 5,successively, as indicated in Fig. 2, and When the arms or prongs 14encounter the object of attack, the Vcharge is explodedk in the torpedoin close proximity to the target.

I claim V1. The combination with a suspended flexible support havingv anelastic portion, ,of a torpedo movable and guided onthe support, aireleasingdevice on the torpedo," a non-elastic member connectedWithwthereleasing vdevice and adjacent the elastic portion and connectedwith the support, wherebythe torpedo is started when the supportislexed.j- Y' 2. VThe combination with a submerged cable having anelastic portion and Vits end anchoring cables, of detachable buoyantsup-' ports'or the cable, a torpedo movable and guided on the cable, aireleasing device on the torpedo, means for detaching the buoyantsupports, an inelastic member in proximity to the elastic portion and`with its re-V spective. ends attached to the releasing dev vice andcable. Y. Y. v W

3. VThe combination with a submerged, suspendedV cable having 4anelastic portion and an inelastic member paralleled there- Y with havingone end fixed, of a torpedo'provided With a tubular guidemembersurrounding the cable and movable thereon, and a releasing deviceon the torpedo to which one end of the inelastic member is attached, forthe purpose described.

4. VThe combination With a submerged Vcable having buoyantly supportedanchoring cables'and detachable marking buoys, of an elastic vportion atone'end of the cable and an inelastic member parallel therewith havingone end fixed, a torpedo having a central tubular guide surrounding thecable, a releasing device'or the torpedo, and a oonnection'between vtheelastic portion and said devicefor the purpose described.

5.',The combinationV with* afguide cable suitably supported, of atorpedo movably supported thereon, andV propellingv means for thetorpedo, o I" detachablefmarking devices on the cable, and means onthetorpedo for successively detaching saidrde'vices.

6. The combination with av guide cable suitably supported, of aztorpedohaving `a central tubular guide surrounding the cable and propellingmeans fotheftorpedo, de-

tachable buoyant marking devices on the cable, and means on the torpedo,for detachv ing said devices.

In testimony whereof aix my signature.

CLYDEC; BROWN.

Qopesof this patent may be obtained for ve cents eh, by 'addressing theCommissioner 'ofrlatenta Y Washington, D. C. i Y Y f I

